Per a long-running Mojang tradition, 2022 saw the release of a new April Fools snapshot. This time an update, or perhaps downdate, that saved the game One block At a Time! But did you know there were April Fools updates with new biomes that came before? Today we explore all Minecraft April Fools jokes from 2010 to 2022.

All Minecraft April Fools Jokes - 2010 to 2022

2010 – Minecraft 4D

The April Fools tradition began with a joke that never saw the light of day. Minecraft 4D! Notch planned to make a fake announcement video for this new version of the game, but due to time constraints, it never came to be. However, the intention led to the April Fools tradition we know today!

2011 – Minecraft Store

April Fools 2011 saw the first successful joke, but it has aged rather poorly. The Minecraft Store, which sold overpriced in-game items and content, was made as an April Fools joke to mock the microtransactions of other games. Nothing could actually be bought, but those who tried were met with a variety of easter eggs, from flashing lights to velociraptors flying across the screen.

Considering the abundance of microtransactions in Bedrock Edition, it can’t help but be a little ironic when viewed today.

2012 – Mars Effect

For April Fools 2012, there was no joke related to Minecraft itself. However, Notch announced a new game altogether titled Mars Effect! This was intended to mock the lawsuit issued by Bethesda for Mojang’s use of “Scrolls” as a game title. Their argument being it was too close in name to the “Elder Scrolls” series of games.

Those seeking an archived version of the Mars Effect website will find it here.

2013 – Minecraft 2.0

It was on the faithful day of April Fools 2013 that Minecraft saw the very first joke snapshot. Minecraft 2.0! An update packed full of content including some parts that even made its way into the actual game! Coal blocks and tinted glass both being examples that came soon after and years later.

Other joke items were not so lucky, however. Burnt-out torches and TNT half slabs have both remained Minecraft 2.0 exclusives to this day. Keeping them company is a few reskinned mobs such as diamond chickens, redstone bugs, ponies, and friendly pink withers, so at least they’re not lonely!

For a complete list of Minecraft 2.0 features, be sure to check out the Minecraft Wiki!

2014 – Skin Change

Mojang’s joke for 2014 was much simpler but no less funny. Villagers took over the Minecraft skin servers! For a day, all players were forced to wear villager skins, and a partnered animation was even released by Element Animation in which the guilty villagers apologized.

2015 – Love and Hugs Update

As players waited in anticipation for 1.9, Mojang released 1.10 because it sounded better. The Love and Hugs update did away with all that violence and removed damage altogether. Dungeons were changed into “houses,” swords were updated to hearts on sticks, and the friendly pink wither made its return.

However, players who generated a super flat world would be surprised to find a hidden QR code in the snow that announced 1.9, the combat update.

For a complete list of items added in Love and Hugs, including the instantly sinking obsidian boats, check out the Minecraft Wiki here.

2016 – Trendy Update

In the following year of April 2016, Mojang released another update to make the game trendier. True to its name, the April Fools Trendy Update would add many highly requested blocks such as USB chargers, ankle monitors, VR headsets, and, of course, smartwatches.

Even the mobs joined in on the fun and would spawn holding “OBEY” signs, and as silly as it all sounded, the added items were quite fun. The VR Headset, for example, showed a 3D map of the surroundings when equipped.

As with the updates before, a complete breakdown waits on the Minecraft Wiki here.

2017 – Mine & Craft Digital Leisure Device

In a surprising bit of news on April Fools 2017, Mojang announced their brand-new console! The Mine & Craft Digital Leisure Device was a handheld gaming console and perfect for Minecraft on the go. Unfortunately, despite briefly appearing on the official Minecraft website, it never came to be.

2018 – DOS Textures

By this point in Minecraft’s history, holidays were already adding temporary block texture changes, but 2018 was the first time it was used for April Fools. Players who logged in found a brand-new set of DOS textures that made the game much “cleaner and smoother.” Realism completely removed or added, depending on who was being asked.

2019 – 3D Minecraft

Minecraft 3D was a lost version of Minecraft released April 1^st, 1994, which only a few ever played. However, it was rediscovered and brought back in 2019 for everyone to enjoy. This fake update, or lost version of the game, referred to many video games from the 1990s—specifically, that of Doom.

Those who played the April Fools snapshot for 2019 would find the game looking very dated, but it had new key cards, a special boss mode, cheat codes, and customizable screen sizes.

For a complete list of cheat codes, check out the Minecraft 3D game manual here.

2020 – Ultimate Content Update

To celebrate April Fools 2020, an update like none before was released out into the world. One overflowing with so much content that it needed multiple dimensions to contain it all! The Ultimate Content Update saw the addition of many dimensions ranging from the library dimension to the slime dimension, alongside plenty of new biomes too!

Not enough? Then try out the added infinite blocks or look for the infamous “Swaggiest Stairs Ever” block. It was called the Ultimate Content Update because there is so much to do! See here for an in-depth list of the very many dimensions and biomes added.

2021 – Minecraft Plus

2021 would bring about Mojang’s most incredible innovation yet, Minecraft Plus! An app that provided Minecraft-themed screensavers for windows and web browsers. My favorite is the glow squids!

Those interested in this project can still download this app from the link found here.

2022 – One Block at a Time Update

Finally, we have the most recent April Fools Snapshot, One Block at a Time. This nifty update removed the overly complex elements of inventories and instead forced players to carry everything above their head block by block.

While previous April Fools snapshots had plenty of silly additions, One Block at a Time was the first to introduce a new intriguing form of play. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any fun hidden around! Barrels could be thrown onto players’ heads, elder guardians were being fished up, and Bedrock was harvestable in survival, assuming you could spare the ten or so minutes required to break one!

An April Fools End

April Fools has come and gone yet again. Which joke was your favorite? We would love to hear! For me, One Block at a Time stands out as the most unique, but that could very well be recency bias messing with my mind. Regardless, I already can’t wait until next year!

Until Next Time,

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